Device for automatically operating fire-doors.



PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905.

' D. A. REAGAN.

DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPERATING FIRE DOORS.

APPLICATION FILED 8321', 19. 1904.

( DOM/NICK A. REA 6AM Q witnesses if Z0 attorney lilrvrTnn STaTns PATENT Patented February 28, 15905..

Trina.

DOMINI'OK A. REAGAN, OF ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSlG NOR OF ONE- THlRl) TO FREDERICK lrIxESSER, OF AL'IOONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVICE FOFii AU'l'olviATlwALLY OPERATING FHWE DUQH SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,891, dated February 28, 1905. Application filed September 19,1904. Serial No. 225.094.

To (LZZ 11/71/0110, 1113 1711/14 concern:

Be it known that I, DOMINICK A. BEAGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Altoona, in the county of Blair and State of Penn- 5 sylvania, have invented new and useful elmmovements in Devices for ghiitomatically Operating Fire-illoors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatically-op- IO erated lire-doors; and one of the objects of the same is to provide means for automatically opening and closing the tire-door of a fire-box of steam-boilers for the purpose of admitting air and to permit the fireman to feed coal under the boiler.

Another object is to provide means for antomatically opening and closing the lire-door of a locomotive at stated intervals of time to permit the fireman to shovel in coal without opening the fire-door by hand and at the same time to admit the necessary inflow of air to the fire to secure the most economical consumption of fuel, a most complete comb ustiou, and a material reduction in the labor of firing.

Owing to the increase in size and capacity of locomotives in recent years and the consequent increase in consumption of fuel and the extra labor required in keeping the the in such condition that the steam-pressure may be constant, it is found very necessary that some means be resorted to for aiding the fireman to perform his service without loss of fuel. It has become a difficult matter for one man to keep the fire-box in proper condition under all circumstances, and owing to the length of time the iirc-door is usually left open by the old practice bad results occur, such as loss of fuel, owing to the fact that there is a constant rush of cold air over the fire, and this results 4 in a sudden contraction of the boiler-plates, which injures them and breaks the stay-bolts. A fire-door that is automatically opened and closed at short intervals not only feeds the required amount of air to properly support combustion, but gives the fireman an opportunity to get the coal and shovel it on without interference and saves fuel that would otherwise be carried away in smoke and unconsumed particles, owing to a constant rush of cold air in an open door. are overcome by means of my invention.

in the accompanying drawings l. have shown one of the means which .i may employ for intermittently opening and closing the lire-(kior These and other objections 5 O of a furnace; but l may use other devices for Fig. 2 is a view of the motor with the 6 ticular description of my invention the nu 5 moral 1 designates the rear end of a locomotive steam-boiler, and 9. is the lireaxloor thereof. As shown in Fig. 1, the lire-door is lllOlllllr ed to slide vertically in a guii'leway comprising keepers 3. a drive-chain 4; is connected, said driveclmin passing up and over a small idler sprocketwheel 5, journaled on a stub-shaft l}. semi-ed to the back of the boiler 1. From the SIHUUhIUn wheel 5 the drive-chain passes around under a large sprocket-wheel 7, and the end of the chain is secured at a suitable point to said sprocket-wheel 7, as at 8. Any suitable means maybe employed for partially rotating the sprocket-wheel 7 and then permitting the weight of the lire-door to return it to its original position, and thus close the lire-door, or l may resort to other means for accomplishing this result and dispense with the sprocketwheels and chain.

The motor which I have shown and I may employ comprises a casing 9 of circular or .cylindrical contour. This casing may be comparatively narrow from front to rear and may At the upper edge of the door be connected to the rear plate of the boiler, 9

as shown. Inside the casing, as shown in Fig. 2, is an abutment or partition 10, which divides the interior into two comparti'nents ll 12. A small inlet-pipe 13 connnunicates through the wall of the casing with an oscillating valve 14, mounted to partially rotate upon a shaft 15 and provided with an opening 16, which is alternately brought into coin- 1 cidencc with the inlet-opening 17 for the admission of live steam to the interior of the valve 1%. his valve 1% is reciprocated or oscillated from the admission-port 17 toa discharge-port 18, leading into the compartment 12, the valve having a steam-tight surface bearing against the abutment or partition at 19 and 20. A piston 21 is fitted to a sleeve 22, journaled on a central bearing 23, and this piston is adapted to be forced by the steam from the valve 14: from its upper position to a point just beyond the exhaust-port 24:, when the weight of the fire-door 2 will return the piston to its original or upper position, owing to the fact that the live steam is passed out through said exhaust-opening 24. To carry the valve. 14 back to a position to receive a new supply of steam from the port 17, an arm 25 is secured to or formed on the sleeve 22 outside the face-plate 26 of the casing 9.

similar arm 27 projects from the sleeve 22 of the valve 1 L. Tappets 28 29 are also formed on or secured to the sleeves 22 and 22. Pitoted to the arm 27 is a cut-off rod 30, said rod passing through a slotted hub 31 on the arm Sprin -stops 32 and 33 are adjustably secured to the cut-oil rod 30. lVhen the tappets 28 29 are carried into contact by the movement of the piston 21 in its downward stroke, the valve-opening 16 is carried to the inlet-port 17 by the further movement of said piston. \Vhen the valve-opening 16 has arrived at the inlet-port 17, the spring-stop 32 is brought into contact with the slotted hub 31 of the arm 25, and thus the valveopening 16 is prevented from passing by the inlet-port 17. IVhen the valve-opening has established communication with the inlet-port 17 and the stop 32 has come in contact with the slotted hub 31, the piston 21 has just passed the exhaust-port 24: and the tappet 29 has been carried by the tappet 28. The purpose of the spring-stop 32 is to limit the rotation of the valve 1a beyond the point of communication of the opening 16 and the inlet 17. After the piston passes the exhaust-port- 2a the weight of the fire-door 2 returns the piston to its upper position, and the tappets 28 29 move the valve 1& to its discharge position. The curved faces of the tappets 28 29 are brought into contact by the weight of the fire-door, and they pass each other. The further upward movement of the piston 21 carries the arm 25 and the slotted hub 31 down until the latter is in contact with the springstop 33, and this stop prevents the upward impetus of the piston 21 from giving a forcible stroke or blow of said piston against the valve let. Thus the cut-off rod 30 and the spring-stops 32 33 serve to limit the rotation of the valve 14 beyond its point of communication with the inlet-port 17 and to also serve as a butter for the return stroke of the piston.

Hinged to the lower edge of the lire-door is l a small stoke-door which may be opened by hand when desired to rake the fire.

If desired, the door may be provided with a series of small holes or openings, as shown I in Fig. 1 of the drawings, for the admission of air and serving to prevent the burning away of the door, dispensing with the use of the usual lining placed on the inside of the door and increasing its life and durability.

The operation of my invention will be understood from the foregoing.

Various changes in form and details may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention and other means for opening and closing the fire-door may be resorted to should the automatic means for any reason become inoperative.

It is to be noted that the fire-door is opened and closed at short intervals of time and that fresh air is fed into the fire-box at such periods as will increase combustion, while fresh supplies of coal may be fed in at any time.

If desired, a suitable signaling device can be utilized in connection with my improvements the most convenient time for delivering the coal to the combustion-chainber.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent and claim 1. A steam-boiler furnace provided with a tire-door, and means for automatically opening said door at intervals.

2. A fire-box door provided with means for automatically opening the same at predetermined intervals of time, and means for permitting the door to close by gravity.

3. In a device of the character described, a fire-door mountedto slide in a guideway, a motor connected to the door and operated to slide the door in the guideway to automatically open it at predetermined intervals, and means to permit the door to close by gravity.

t. In a device of the character described, a j fire-door, a motor, a flexible connection between the door and motor, and means whereby said motor is operated to automatically open the door at predetermined intervals of time, and means to permit said door to close by gravity.

5. In a device of the character described, a lire-door mounted in a vertical guideway, a motor having an oscillating piston, asprocketwheel on the piston-shaft, a drive-chain connected to the door and to the sprocket-wheel, and means for oscillating the piston.

6. In a device for opening and closing fire- ,doors automaticallyeat predetermined intervals, a motor comprising a casing, a piston therein, an abutment in said casing, an oscillating valve,and means for opening the same 5 within said casing, and a connection between 1 the motor and the fire-door.

for the purpose of Warning the fireman that, the door has started to open, thusdetermining 7. In a device of the character described. a opened at intervals and permitted to close by motor, comprising acasing, (1 piston in the casgravity. I ing' an inlet-port, en exheustmort, an osoil- 8. A fire-door provided with means for 2111- letting valve adapted to contain live steam and tometieally opening the same at predetermined carry it from the inlet-port to a disehergeintervals and permitting it to close by gravity, oriliee in front of the piston, e ent-ofl rod, and and a smell auxiliary door hinged to the lower teppets controlled by said out-off rod for re-' edge of said fire-door. turning the valve to its original position, one DOMlNlGK A. REAGAN. of said tappets being moved by the piston, and Witnesses:

connections between the fire-door and the mo- 1). R. MILLER, tor, whereby the [ire-door is automatically WM. L. VVOODOOOK. 

